Controlled burning in the U.S. can be traced back to the early Native Americans. They understood the benefit of controlled use of fire and its capacity to change as it benefited wildlife and eased access in woodlands. The process was later adopted by farmers and ranchers to create higher quality forage for livestock and maintain top quality soil for crops.
Below are some tips to make sure you stay safe and maximize your efforts while doing controlled burns.
Practice makes perfect.
If you’ve never done a controlled burn before, try helping out a friend or neighbor with one of theirs so you can watch the process and see how it’s done. You can also get information from a local or county forester.
Watch the weather.
If it is dry with a strong breeze, it can spell disaster for fires. Good weather conditions for controlled burning is at least 50 percent humidity with a light breeze to help the fire move along.
Plan ahead.
In case of an emergency, make sure you let neighbors, friends and local fire department know when and where you plan to burn. That way, people are prepared in case you end up needing some help.
Know your soil.
In areas of more fertile soil conditions, it may be necessary to conduct more frequent burns to set back plant succession to a more desirable pace. Timing of the fire is another factor that highly influences the outcome.
Overall, controlled burning is the most cost effective way to manipulate wildlife habits and keep soil fertile. Just remember, fire is dangerous. Control is vital. Make sure you seek the advice of a professional before taking on this valuable land management tool alone.
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Sources:
https://www.hobbyfarms.com/controlled-burns-tips-safety-fire/